Key Newspaper Unions Seek To End Disunity

BAL HARBOUR, FLA. — Key unions in the newspaper industry will seek to end frictions among themselves and halt a ``growing trend of anti-union activity,`` they said here Monday.

The AFL-CIO`s annual winter meeting opened with disclosure that four unions have formed the Newspaper Industry Coordinating Committee under the auspices of the labor federation`s industrial union department.

FOR THE RECORD - Additional material published Feb. 22, 1989:Corrections and clarifications.- A story in the Business section of the Feb. 21 Tribune about the AFL-CIO`s annual meeting incorrectly described a 1985 decision byTeamster drivers during a strike against The Chicago Tribune by pressmen, printers and mailers. The Teamster drivers did cross thepicket lines of the striking production workers. The Tribune regrets stating otherwise.

The unions, which represent drivers, pressmen, printers, mailers and reporters, are the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Communications Workers of America, Graphic Communications International Union and Newspaper Guild.

In the past, disunity often has marked their relations. A prime example cited at a press conference was the 1985 decision of Teamster drivers not to cross picket lines of pressmen, printers and mailers who struck The Chicago Tribune.

Moreover, there have been many cases of one union attempting to raid another`s members and exhaustive, failed merger talks among some of the unions.

``The lack of coordination was quite apparent,`` said Morton Bahr, president of the 680,000 communications workers whose ranks include the printers and mailers.

Bahr alleged that ``in some cases publishers almost taunt you to go out on strike so they can replace you.``

The group`s formation does not guarantee if one union strikes a paper, the others will follow suit. There is no such pledge of solidarity, only one to try to avert discord through better planning.

The committee targeted three employers for pressure: William Dean Singleton, owner of the Denver Post and 55 other papers; Helen Copley, owner of the San Diego Union and Tribune; and the McClatchy family, which runs a string of papers, including the Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee and Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune.

``This is a rapidly changing industry,`` said James Norton, president of the graphic communications union. ``We are acting not only to protect our members but also to safeguard the public`s right to have a newspaper industry which adheres to its tradition of conveying full and accurate information to the readers.``

The Teamsters were represented by the top officials of their national newspaper and driver division, Thomas McGrath and Tony Judge, who is secretary treasurer of Teamster Local 706, which represents drivers at The Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times.